Winter Squash, Sausage & Feta Bake

Name: Winter Squash, Sausage & Feta Bake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 20 servings (3/4 cup each).
Ingredients: 1 pound bulk Italian sausage; 2 large onions, chopped; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, divided; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary; 1-1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon pepper; 1 medium butternut squash (about 4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes; 2 cups crumbled feta cheese; 2 small sweet red peppers, chopped

This time of year, I can't resist butternut squash, with its bright color and fall flavor. It helps make this casserole a guaranteed hit at potlucks. —Craig Simpson, Savannah, Georgia

Ingredients

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, divided
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon pepper
1 medium butternut squash (about 4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups crumbled feta cheese
2 small sweet red peppers, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onions and 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and onions are tender, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain.
In a large bowl, combine oil, rosemary, salt, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and remaining pepper flakes. Add butternut and acorn squash, cheese, red peppers and sausage mixture; toss to coat.
Transfer to an ungreased shallow roasting pan. Cover and bake 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until squash is tender.

Nutrition Facts

3/4 cup: 160 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated fat), 22mg cholesterol, 481mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 3g fiber), 7g protein.

Originally published as Savory Winter Squash and Feta Bake in Taste of Home October/November 2012

Reviews

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Average Rating:

kaylake

Oct 10, 2013

There is nothing bad I can say about this recipe. It is even better after it sits for a day. I used turkey sausage just to make it that much healthier. I also cut the recipe in half, using only one type of squash and it still produced plenty.
JJNebr

Dec 17, 2012

Buy the squash pre-cubed or it takes much longer to prepare. Wonderful and unique flavors. It has started a new tradition with our family.
KelleyEE

Nov 14, 2012

We love squash, and to mix with sausage and feta are flavors my family definitely loves. I cut down on the onion, red pepper flakes, and red bell pepper. Next time I may increase the rosemary just a titch. Also, you should be ready to need 2 pans, this makes a LOT of food. We ate it as a main dish and still have many servings left over (family of 3).To make peeling the squash easier, poke it with a fork a few times and microwave for just a few minutes. That is the most time consuming part of this recipe, especially to peel the acorn squash with its ridges. Don't waste the seeds - roast them just like pumpkin seeds!Great meal for a cold winter's night!
lunapiercook

Oct 16, 2012

This is an "old-style" recipe, requiring actual work in peeling the two squash. The outer 1/4" or so of each squash should be removed, and this should be done like de-skinning a pineapple, cutting off the ends, standing it on a board and cutting down the skin vertically in sections with a large, sharp blade. This may throw some people off but it's really worth the effort. The print version of the recipe specifies bulk Italian sausage instead of Johnsonville's, so we used Tennessee Pride mild roll sausage, which is similar to an Italian. Everything else was as-written. The mixture filled two 9" x 13" glass casseroles nicely, which we placed on half-sheet pans for baking. It's done when the acorn squash is still not quite al dente and the butternut is just getting soft, any more baking and the butternut would be mush. The dish came out as an actual meal of its own, only needing some good biscuits on the side. We'll definitely be making this again, looking at variations of dried Michigan cherries, using sautéed bias-cut smoked kielbasa added after baking vs. the sausage added before, or maybe even using the veggies and cheese only as a bed for a grilled pork loin topped with an apple-onion relish. This dish would be a good basis for a lot of other hearty comfort dishes.
romwell

Oct 14, 2012

First time i made the recipe and at the end I cooked the squash for a while before I baked it. Made it again per the recipe and followed the directions. While I like my veggie with crush, my husband like them more done. Do think I will make this again and cook the veggies a little before the bake. Wonderful recipe if only the squashes could peal themselves.
obxgoer

Sep 28, 2012

I was a little skeptical, but I do love butternut squash. This was delicious. I don't care for feta, so I used queso fresco. Delicious!!!